[pct-l] Big Bears...

[magicalnexus at yahoo.com (Magical Nexus)]

FYI, I asked the list for Donna Saufly's mailing address to forward a resupply and the request wasn't posted- any help would be appreciated.
Regarding bears, I recall a stuffed bear in the Northern Lights shopping mall in Anchorage back in the early '80s that was 13ft 6". It was mounted standing up on its hind legs....
Taken with a bow and arrow.
I can tell you that I saw many bears in Alaska, blacks and browns. Never had a problem. Always carried a Remington 870 pump when fishing and out and about. Never unslung it. Got rather close to bears at times. Especially when fishing streams. A friend of mine taught me to never give bears even the slightest sense of a submissive attitude. Act like the biggest jerk you have ever seen. Emphasize it with a rock upside the bears head if necessary. For me, we just acknowledge each other and move on. Never had to give up a fish, etc.
Just don't cook, clean or fish where you sleep.... Move your night camp well away from  the dinner site...
I recall coming up on a group of brown bears fishing. I pulled back from their perimeter, found a vantage point and enjoyed a very rare opportunity.
 
Growing up in Montana was a bit different. The bear vs human score was always posted in the paper, everytime a tourist got killed by bears (in Glacier Park, usually). Almost always happened in a campground, often involved stupid humans doing stupid things. They got five or six people a year as I recall.
 
I hiked the Bob Marshall many times, the Great Bear wilderness, etc... only had one sighting of a big grizz.... followed me along the Chinese wall for two days. Made me nervous, I only saw him once but found his tracks under the ledge I slept on (night two). 
 
I remember finding bear scat on the top of Pyramid Peak on the Seeley Lake side of the divide...no reason for him to be up there but for the view, the scree fields and marmots were about a thousand feet below...
 
I recall hiking in the rain and finding bear tracks still filling with water in front of me. He was probably avoiding a head on encounter with me.
 
Personally people make me far more nervous.

		
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